The University of Eastern Finland has decided to:
- allow student exchange (both incoming and outgoing) for the spring semester while observing the guidelines issued by the university, the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, and the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs, as well as the guidelines of the destination countries and host institutions; and
- make decisions on how teaching will be arranged in the spring semester in October.
UEF’S new decicions:
Student exchange
Student exchange (both incoming and outgoing) will be permitted in the spring semester 2021 while observing the guidelines issued by the university, the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, and the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs, as well as the guidelines of the destination countries and host institutions. Because the coronavirus situation may change rapidly, people considering a student exchange or staff mobility period should be prepared for changes. Further information will come in Kamu this week.
Teaching arrangements in the spring semester
Decisions on teaching arrangements in the spring semester (including the organisation of entrance examinations) will be made and communicated in October.
Please remember also the following:
General
The foundation of all activities is to ensure that it is safe to work and study at the university.
Staff members’ and students’ responsible behaviour will play an important role.
The doors of the campus buildings are open as per normal.
All visitors (students, staff, guests) have to follow the following basic guidelines:
- Only come to the campus when you are healthy.
- The first thing to do when you arrive is to wash your hands. You should also wash your hands regularly throughout the day. Use hand sanitizer in situations where washing your hands is not possible.
- Keep a safe distance to others (1.5–2 metres).
- Wear a mask in situations where it is not possible to keep a safe distance to others.
- No handshaking, no hugging.
Teaching
As much in-person teaching as possible will be offered to new students to ensure their commitment to the university and to their student community. Otherwise, the main mode of study this autumn will be online, except for courses that are impossible to organise online.
In-person teaching is organised with safety in mind. A maximum of 50 people, including the teacher, may be in the same room at a time, and with people keeping a safety distance of a minimum of 1.5 metres.
General exams continue not to be held, but it is possible for teachers to hold and supervise exams for small groups, while taking safety distances into consideration. The maximum number of people permitted in a room is 50 persons.
Safety distances can also be kept in all EXAM rooms of the university. Only some of the computers available in the rooms can be booked, and when students book a time, they will be assigned a specific computer on which to complete their exam. In other words, students can’t complete their exam on just any computer. Please see the university’s guidelines on the use of face masks in EXAM facilities.
UEF currently recommends the use of a face mask in situations where it is not possible to maintain safe distances (such as teaching taking place in a laboratory). The university has reserved face masks for both students and staff to be worn in these kinds of situations. In addition, face masks are worn in customer service settings where a protective plexiglass is unavailable. The university monitors the development of nationwide guidelines on face masks. Staff members will provide students with face masks in situations where they are needed. Please see the University of Eastern Finland’s recommendation on the use of face masks.
Students belonging to a risk group for a severe COVID-19 infection are recommended to not come to the facilities on campus nor to participate in in-person teaching. Please read the more detailed guidelines for students belonging to a risk group.
Registration for courses is mandatory in the autumn semester 2020. In addition, teachers must keep a list of students participating in in-person teaching.
The above-mentioned safety guidelines issued by the university are followed in new student orientation, tutoring and other events that bring students together. Tutoring will be organised in small groups and mainly online.
Instructions pertaining to teaching and studying can be found in Kamu.
Decisions on teaching arrangements in the spring semester (including the organisation of entrance examinations) will be made and communicated in October.
Travel
Continue to avoid unnecessary travel abroad. The Finnish Government reviews travel restrictions approximately every two weeks. The latest information on travel restrictions can be found on the Finnish Government’s website. Those returning from a high-risk country are to self-isolate in accordance with the guidelines issued by the National Institute for Health and Welfare, THL. Please see THL’s self-isolation guidelines.
A 14-day self-isolation period is not required from persons coming from countries for which restrictions on border traffic have been lifted. In addition, business travel to these countries is allowed, as are visitors from these countries. The same definition of policy applies to students’ training/internship periods or other studies-related travel abroad (such as field courses or other excursions). Student exchange, however, is cancelled for the entire autumn semester. In the spring semester 2021, student exchange (both incoming and outgoing) will be allowed while observing the guidelines issued by the university, the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, and the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs, as well as the guidelines of the destination countries and host institutions.
Necessary visitors from abroad (opponents, visiting researchers, students arriving from abroad, etc.) will be welcomed while observing the guidelines on self-isolation issued by the National Institute for Health and Welfare, THL. The latest information on the countries deemed safe for travel can be found on the Finnish Government’s website.
- Domestic travel and visits are allowed.
- It is prohibited to enter the campus for 14 days after returning from a “high-risk country”.
Services
Most of the services available on the campuses are open (some with limited opening hours). Safety distances and the university’s guidelines on hygiene must be adhered to in all facilities.
Information about the services of the campus libraries can be found on the library’s website.
Self-study facilities and IT classrooms, as well as Oppari’s customer service points and service desks in Joensuu and Kuopio are open. Student and Learning Services’ customer service desks are also open; more detailed information on the opening hours can be found in Kamu.
Campus restaurants are welcoming both students and staff. Information on restaurant-specific opening hours can be found on Yammer.
For restaurant-specific menus, please see the websites of the campus restaurants.
Take out lunch is available in all of the campus restaurants. Take out portions are chilled; warm take out lunch is available during the lunch hours.
The university’s cleaning services adhere to the instructions issued by the Finish Institute of Occupational Health.
Sykettä Sports Services have started operating (limited group sizes).
Student associations have started their activities.
Events organised at the university
The number of people permitted in events organised in the university’s facilities by the university is limited to a maximum of 50 persons. The 50-person limit is also applied to events organised by the Student Union or a subject association. This definition of policy applies to all events, including teaching and public examinations of doctoral dissertations. Read the university’s guidelines on public examinations of doctoral dissertations.
The university also accepts external facility reservations. The number of people permitted in events organised by external parties follows the national restrictions. In events organised outside the university, guidelines given by the event organiser are to be followed.
Coronavirus testing
Coronavirus testing is done in public health care. In accordance with the Infectious Diseases Act, coronavirus testing is a task assigned to public health care, and public health care is also the only route via which contact tracing can be carried out, or any possible quarantines imposed.
The Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare has a website where the symptoms of COVID-19 are listed.
The University of Eastern Finland recommends that everyone experiencing symptoms reach out to public health care and get tested as soon as possible. The university also recommends the use of the Koronavilkku app to its staff members and students.
See also the university’s guideline: “What to do when a person who has been on campus is diagnosed with COVID-19?”
The University of Eastern Finland’s recommendation on the use of face masks.
